Remakes and reboots in the year’s 10 best movies
Cinema-goers had plenty of choice this year, but some were more worthy than others. James Croot reports.
This year has been one of Disney dominating the box office, reboots, remakes and reimaginings ruled (and mostly underwhelmed) and streaming services truly began to disrupt the traditional movie model.
However, plenty of cinematic highlights have graced Kiwi screens large and small over the past 12 months.
The following are 10 I would be more than happy to watch all over again.
Avengers: Endgame
This culmination of 11 years and 22 films was far better than anyone could have hoped. Having seemingly left our heroes in a very dark place after last year’s Infinity War, Anthony and Joe Russo then proceeded to twist the knife further before unleashing a time-travel-infused crowd-pleaser whose three-hour running-time practically flew by.
As expected, there were tears before bedtime, some Back to the Future Part II-esque antics and a
Quantum Leap-style sendoff for one of the series’ most-popular protagonists. But, in the end, this was a movie that richly rewarded fans and entertained relative newbies.
Booksmart
Fast Times at Ridgemont High-meets-Square Pegs – for the Instagram generation. A gender-swapped
Superbad. Whatever previous high-school comedy this evoked memories of for you, there’s no doubting this smart, sweet and sassy tale was a heck of a lot of fun in its own right.
Actor-turned-director Olivia Wilde’s movie was an assured and, at times, audacious debut that delivered way more depth than its initially simple premise would suggest.
Beanie Feldstein and Kaitlyn Dever are quite brilliant as best friends who, the day before graduation, begin to question whether the years of hard work have really been worth it.
Capharnaum
A kind of a cross between Italian neo-realism tales like Bicycle Thieves, the grimy and sometimes grim tales of US auteur Larry Clark (Kids) and brutal Brazilian favela drama City of God, Lebanese director Nadine Labaki’s drama features some stunning performances from its cast of predominantly young novice actors.
Zain Al Rafeea is mesmerising as our troubled young ‘‘hero’’ experiencing poverty, privations and adult situations no tween should be forced to endure. Labaki captures it all (including some heartbreaking and harrowing decisions) with an unblinking camera that will leave you shaken and stirred.
The Farewell
As the opening card so eloquently put it, this fabulous family drama is ‘‘based on an actual lie’’. Drawing on her own experiences, writer-director Lulu Wang crafted a compelling, heart-wrenching (and warming) story that will strike a chord with cinemagoers of all ages.
At the heart of it all is a terrific performance from Awkwafina. Best-known for scene-stealing turns in Ocean’s Eight and Crazy Rich Asians, here she adds an extra dimension of nuance and gravitas as a young woman clinging to her past and trying to forge her own path in life.
Knives Out
Rian Johnson returned from a galaxy far, far away with this superbly scripted, magnificently edited whodunit. This is a tale filled with red herrings, weak alibis, domestic squabbles, colourful characters and terrific twists.
The writer-director employs misdirection in the best sense of the word, setting up motives for virtually everyone and seemingly handing the audience a plausible explanation early, only to snatch it away more than once. It’s also as funny as hell. But while the expertly assembled ensemble are all perfectly cast, Daniel Craig and Cuban actress Ana de Armas steal the show.
Long Shot
A razor-sharp political satire and the best rom-com since 2017’s The Big Sick, Jonathan Levine’s film is also a love letter to the early 1990s.
Aided by screenwriters Dan Sterling and Liz Hannah, he crafted a crowd-pleasing comedy that feels contemporary and a throwback to much-loved genre classics from two decades ago. Perhaps surprisingly, Seth Rogen and Charlize Theron’s chemistry is impressively convincing, and her
comedic timing is quite brilliant. Throw in some serious digs at the current state of US politics and a fab Generation X soundtrack and this Long Shot becomes a slam-dunk home run.
Married Story
With its intimate camerawork, witty one-liners, drama that draws you in, and a haunting soundtrack, Noah Baumbach’s tale is reminiscent of the best of Woody Allen’s output, Kramer vs
Kramer, or (500) Days of Summer.
That this divorce-as-a-love-story works so magnificently and gut-punchingly is down to Baumbach’s slow-burning narrative and some truly fabulous performances.
Adam Driver is a revelation. His Charlie is complex, flawed, a genius creative who has also neglected his partner’s needs. Likewise, Scarlett Johansson here gives her best performance in years. You can feel Nicole’s frustration at years of having her own dreams suppressed, but you can also see the horror in her eyes as this supposedly amicable process spirals out of control.
The Nightingale
A harrowing, sometimes brutal, but compelling watch, Jennifer Kent’s unsettling, unflinching and unstinting 1820s Van Diemen’s Land-set tale was a truly disturbing, nightmarish meditation on the evil that men do.
Yes, it contains some unpalatable moments (including a horrific central scene), but you’ll find yourself so absorbed and invested in the story that you cannot look away. Irish-Italian actress Aisling Franciosi delivers a powerful and poignant turn as a woman who finds her quest for justice isn’t as bloodthirstily straightforward as she thinks it might be.
See You Yesterday
It’s Looper-meets-The Hate U Give. It’s Run Lola Run relocated from 1990s Germany to modern-day East Flatbush, New York, or Do the Right Thing for today’s sci-fi savvy, socially conscious teens.
Stefon Bristol’s debut feature focuses on Bronx High School of Science students C J Walker (Eden Duncan- Smith) and Sebastian Thomas (Dante Crichlow), as they attempt to prove their ‘‘temporary relocation devices’’ will work.
What follows is a heady mix of clever plotting, sharp street humour, excellent reggae beats and an emotional gut-punch to rival BlacKkKlansman or Detroit.
Toy Story 4
Nine years after a charming and stunning trilogy capper, debutant director Josh Cooley returned to Pixar’s toy box with a terrific tale that only the hardest of hearts could fail to be moved by.
Cleverly seizing on an unexplored story thread (the fate of Bo Peep), the current horror genre penchant for creepy dolls and the #MeToo movement, it’s a movie that will have different meanings for kids, parents and grandparents.
Its real strength lies in its brilliantly shaded characters, which this time include a scenestealing Keanu Reeves as Canadian daredevil Duke Kaboom.
As expected, there were tears before bedtime but in the end, this was a movie that richly rewarded fans.